TicketsCINCINNATI – Cincinnati Athletics is one of 11 "Power Five" athletic departments to earn a perfect score in the 2023 Athlete Ally Athletic Equality Index (AEI), which was developed to provide a comprehensive measure of LGBTQI+ inclusion policies and practices in college athletics.
The Bearcats are also one of three schools in Ohio and one of three Big 12 schools to earn the perfect 100 score.
Introduced in 2017, the AEI is a first-of-its-kind report that details how NCAA institutions are supporting their LGBTQI+ student athletes, coaches, administration, staff and fans. In November 2021, the report expanded to represent D-II and D-III institutions.
The 100-point scale was developed to score the implementation and accessibility of the eight critical LGBTQI+ inclusive policies and best practices below.
Athletic Department Policies
Athletic Department Practices and Resources
Data is collected by a team of research fellows who perform a comprehensive audit of institutions' policy manuals (including student-athlete handbooks) and their official athletics websites to identify publicly evidenced policies and practices on LGBTQ inclusion at every NCAA D-I institution.
The eight policies and practices measured here have been empirically proven to impact the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Every athletic department in the sample has been contacted regularly with the opportunity to offer publicly available evidence of accessible policies, resources, and trainings to staff, fans, and student-athletes.
Metrics include, non-discrimination, inclusion and sexual misconduct policies, fan codes of conduct, collaborations, resources and trainings.
ABOUT ATHLETE ALLY
Athlete Ally believes sport will change the world when it welcomes and empowers all people. As a leading national nonprofit working at the intersection of sport and LGBTQI+ equality, Athlete Ally works to end the structural and systemic oppression that isolates, excludes, and endangers LGBTQI+ people in sport. We educate individuals and institutions to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQI+ people and how they can build an inclusive culture. We work to ensure sport governing bodies, teams and leagues adopt policies that reflect the diversity of their constituents. We incubate athlete activism to advance LGBTQI+ equality in and through sport. For more information, visit www.athleteally.org.
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The Bearcats are also one of three schools in Ohio and one of three Big 12 schools to earn the perfect 100 score.
Introduced in 2017, the AEI is a first-of-its-kind report that details how NCAA institutions are supporting their LGBTQI+ student athletes, coaches, administration, staff and fans. In November 2021, the report expanded to represent D-II and D-III institutions.
The 100-point scale was developed to score the implementation and accessibility of the eight critical LGBTQI+ inclusive policies and best practices below.
Athletic Department Policies
- Policy that protects sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression
- Policy that protects transgender varsity student-athletes
- Policy that protects LGBTQ student-athletes against sexual assault
- Fan code of conduct that protects LGBTQ athletes, staff, and spectators
Athletic Department Practices and Resources
- Department provides LGBTQ educational resources
- Department annually partners with LGBTQ campus group/center
- Department offers LGBTQ trainings for staff
- Department offers LGBTQ trainings for student-athletes
Data is collected by a team of research fellows who perform a comprehensive audit of institutions' policy manuals (including student-athlete handbooks) and their official athletics websites to identify publicly evidenced policies and practices on LGBTQ inclusion at every NCAA D-I institution.
The eight policies and practices measured here have been empirically proven to impact the experiences of the LGBTQ community. Every athletic department in the sample has been contacted regularly with the opportunity to offer publicly available evidence of accessible policies, resources, and trainings to staff, fans, and student-athletes.
Metrics include, non-discrimination, inclusion and sexual misconduct policies, fan codes of conduct, collaborations, resources and trainings.
ABOUT ATHLETE ALLY
Athlete Ally believes sport will change the world when it welcomes and empowers all people. As a leading national nonprofit working at the intersection of sport and LGBTQI+ equality, Athlete Ally works to end the structural and systemic oppression that isolates, excludes, and endangers LGBTQI+ people in sport. We educate individuals and institutions to understand obstacles to inclusion for LGBTQI+ people and how they can build an inclusive culture. We work to ensure sport governing bodies, teams and leagues adopt policies that reflect the diversity of their constituents. We incubate athlete activism to advance LGBTQI+ equality in and through sport. For more information, visit www.athleteally.org.
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